Swimming-boat



A. GARDELIS.

SWIMMING BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1920.

- Patented Sept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. GARDELIS.

SWIMMING BOAT.

m2 R v m i 1 5 ilm i W i f t UNITED STATES AUGUST GARDELIS, 0FPRINCETON, NEW JERSEY.

SWIMMING-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed May 8, 1920. Serial No. 379,927.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST GARDELIS, a citizen of Greece, residing atPrinceton in the county of Mercer and State of ew Jersey, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Swimming-Boats, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices and has for its object theprovision of a boat designed for use at the seashore or other similarbathing places and so constructed that the operator may lie flat thereinin swimming position, the device being supported upon wheels and beingprovided with a propeller operated manually by the operator throughgearing, the device being additionally provided with arudder whereby itscourse may be controlled.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be very amusing in use and which is especially adapted for ridingthe breakers and which will furthermore be comparatively safe as thewheels will tend to prevent the device from being upset.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to operate,durable and eiiicient in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Figure l is a top plan view of the device,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view,

Fig. 4 is a front view,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, and v Fig. 6 is a crosssectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designatesthe body of the boat which is trough-shaped in cross section and formedof wood or other buoyant material. At one end this body 10 is preferablypointed, as shown at 11, and is pro vided in its sides at a point spacedfrom the point with cut-away portions 12, fora purpose to be described.Thls body is formed with a concavity 13 adapted to receive the body ofthe user and, rising from the bottom of the concavity from the rear Vend of the body to substantially the center,

is a partition 14 which divides the concavity into two portions 15 whichare designed to receive the legs of the operator. The forward end of thebottom wall of the concavity 13 is inclined upwardly, as shown at 16, tosupport the operators chest so that his head will be disposed above thetop of the boat. The cutaway portions 12 are for the accommodation ofthe operators arms. At the rear end of the boat are provided holes 17through which water falling into the boat may drain.

Secured upon the under side of the boat at the rear end thereof, is aframe 18 carrying one wheel 19. Secured upon the under side of the bodyadjacent its forward end, is a frame 20 through which is journaled atransverse axle 21 carrying at its ends wheels 22 from each of whichextends a handle 23. Secured upon the axle intermediate its ends is arelatively large gear 24. Secured upon the underside of the body at apoint spaced from its rear end, is a. bearing bracket 25 which journallysupports the rear end of a shaft 26 which is also journaled throughaportion of the frame 20. At its rear end this shaft 26 carries apropeller 27 and at its forward end carries a pinion 28 meshing with thegear 24.

Extending through the body at the rear end of the partition 14 is astandard or post 29 upon the lower end of which is swingingly mounted arudder 30. Connected with opposite sides of this rudder are flexiblemembers 31 which extend through guide slots 32 adjacent the propellerand which are trained through any suitable or desired number of guiderings or the like 33. These flexible members extend along the undersideof the boat and at'their forward extremities carry weighted handles 34which depend from the boat adjacent the cut away portions 12.

In the use of the device the operator lies at full length within theboat, his body substantially conforming to the concavity therein. Theoperator then grasps the handles 23, which are oppositely arranged andthereby rotates the wheels 22. The device will then be propelled overthe shore to ap proach the water or will be propelled upon the bottom ifthe device happens to be in shallow water. WVhen the water is deeper theboat will of course float and rotation of the wheels 22 resultsnaturally in rotation of the gear 24, pinion 28, shaft 26, and propeller27, and the propeller 27v will then cause the device to be moved throughthe'water.

Steering is effected by pulling upon the proper handles 34. The device.is particularly advantageous for use in riding the breakers as theoperator may propel the device out into deep water beyond the breakersand then ride in on a wave or breaker. As the device approaches theshore and the water is not deep enough to float the boat the wheels 22and 19 will engage the bottom so that the device will very efiicientlycoast along in a rapid and entertaining manner. The provision of thewheels has an added advantage of protecting the boat portion of thedevice from injury as'the wheels will engage the ground or bottominstead of the v boat striking thereagainst.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodimentof myinvention, it is of courseto be understood thatLI reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

" claim 1. A "device of the character described comprisnig aboatstructure upon which an operator mayv lie at full length, an axlejournaled beneath the vforward end of the boat and carrying wheels,handles on said wheels adapted for engagement by the hands of theoperator whereby to rotate the wheels, and a supporting wheel at therear end of the boat structure.

2. A device of the character described comprising a boat structure, asupporting wheel at the rear end thereof, a supporting axle'at the frontend thereof carrying wheels provided withhandles, alongitudinallyexvided with cut away, portions for the accommodatlon of the operatorsarms, a frame secured beneath the forward end of said body, an axlejournaled through said frame and carrying wheels, handles on said wheelsengageable by the hands of the operator, a longitudinally extendingshaft journaled beneath the body and operatively connected with saidaxle, and a propeller on said shaft.

4D. A device of the character described comprising a buoyant body formedwith a concavity within which an operator may lie at full-length" andface down, the forward portion of the sides of said body being providedwith cut away portionsfor the accommodation of the o erators arms aframe secured beneath the'forward end of said body, an axle ournale'dthrough said frame and carrying wheels, handles on said wheelsengageable by the hands of the I operator, a longitudinally extendingshaft journaled beneath the body and 'operatively connected with saidaxle, a propeller on said shaft, a rudder mounted at the rear end ofthe-body, and flexible members connected with the rudder and providedwith weighted handles depending from the body adjacent the cut awayportions therein. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. AUGUST GARDELIS.

